COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Michigan’s Howard Starts From Scratch

Steve Fisher had a choice: Return Juwan Howard to the lineup or face the consequences.

Fisher bowed to Howard’s wishes, and No. 15 Michigan defeated Illinois, 74-70, Sunday at Champaign, Ill.

Howard, who sat out last Wednesday’s game against Minnesota because of chicken pox, made two consecutive shots at the start of the game and finished with 20 points.

“He’d have pounded on my head if I hadn’t started him and continued to play him,” said Fisher, whose team still is without Jimmy King, also suffering from chicken pox.

“We’re hopelessly beaten if we don’t have Juwan in that game,” Fisher said.

Howard was at his best in the first half, scoring 16 points as the Wolverines took a 20-point lead. He said he felt only 85%, but added that he “got on a good roll.”

In the second half, when Michigan (12-4, 4-2 Big Ten) wasted a 13-point lead, it was Jalen Rose who rescued the Wolverines after the Fighting Illini (10-4, 3-2) seemed poised to take command.

After a free throw by T.J. Wheeler tied the score at 68 with 1:59 to play, Rose put Michigan ahead to stay with two free throws.

A basket by Leon Derricks extended the lead to 72-68 before Rose made two more free throws with 12 seconds left.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” said Rose, who scored 28 points. “Once they cut our lead, we didn’t let them get a sizable margin.”

No. 11 Temple 78, Rutgers 56--Aaron McKie had a season-high 31 points and was five for seven from three-point range to lead Temple to its fifth consecutive victory at Piscataway, N.J.

McKie had 18 points at halftime as the Owls (11-2, 4-1 Atlantic 10) took a 46-28 lead. But the game became a struggle at the start of the second half as Rutgers (5-9, 1-4)--which has lost seven of nine--went on a 13-0 run to pull within 46-41 with 14:55 to play.

McKie, who also grabbed 11 rebounds, made a three-pointer to end the Owls’ drought. Temple missed six shots and committed five turnovers while the Scarlet Knights made their run.

Rick Brunson’s three-pointer for Temple was sandwiched by two Rutgers free throws, and then McKie scored on a drive and Eddie Jones added another three-pointer as the Owls took a 57-43 lead with 11:53 left.

No. 17 Georgia Tech 74, Virginia 70--Travis Best and James Forrest scored 20 points apiece to lead Georgia Tech at Atlanta.

Best fouled out with slightly more than a minute to play and Forrest didn’t start because of a stomach virus, entering the game four minutes after it began and going the rest of the way.

Forrest’s short jumper in the lane with 4:42 left to play capped a 10-0 Georgia Tech run and gave the Yellow Jackets (11-5, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) their largest lead of the game, 63-52.

Virginia (10-6, 4-2) battled back from a nine-point deficit in the last 1:51 to pull to 71-69 when Cornel Parker scored with 12 seconds remaining. But Georgia Tech’s Drew Barry made two free throws to make it 73-69 with 11 seconds left.

Memphis State 62, No. 19 Cincinnati 55--Cedric Henderson and Sylvester Ford each scored 16 points at Memphis to help Memphis State end an eight-game losing streak.

The Tigers (6-9, 1-4 Great Midwest) went on a 19-0 run during a nine-minute period in the first half to take a 23-14 lead over Cincinnati (12-5, 1-2).

OTHER GAMES

B.J. Tyler had 36 points and Terrence Rencher and Albert Burditt each had 22, leading Texas (11-6) to a 107-96 victory over Georgia (8-8) at Austin, Tex. . . . Jim Rullo scored a career-high 24 points to lead Drexel (14-2) to a 88-73 victory over Boston University (7-8) at Philadelphia. . . . Greg Smith scored 18 points to help Delaware (9-7, 2-2 North Atlantic) to a 59-56 victory over Northeastern (4-11, 1-3) at Newark, Del.